Prosciutto Pizza

October 25, 20152 Comments

Prep – 5 minutes

Cook – 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 McCain Regular Crust Pizza Base
4 tbs of pizza base sauce
100g of prosciutto
200g cherry tomatoes
200g buffalo mozzarella
Optional – marinated whole olives – leave the pips in so they keep their shape while baking!
Optional – 1 Spanish onion – halved and cut into wedges
Fresh oregano leaves – to serve

Method

Preheat a fan-forced oven to 200°C and place pizza stones or oven trays in the oven to heat – this will ensure a crispy pizza base!
Spoon pizza base sauce on to McCain Regular Crust Pizza Base and spread evenly. Top with desired toppings and bake for 15 minutes or until base is crispy and cheese is golden and melted.
Remove pizza from oven, top with fresh oregano leaves, cut into even slices and serve immediately.

Vegan Pea and Pumpkin Pasta

October 20, 20151 Comment

It’s not easy being vegan. People always think you eat bland and boring meals. Although, being vegan doesn’t mean you need to compromise on flavour as this punchy pasta proves.

Roasting brings out the natural sweetness of the pumpkin, while the peas bring a creamy element to this dairy-free dish. Delish.

Serves – 4-6
Prep – 10 minutes
Cook – 30 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups of McCain Diced Pumpkin
2 cups of McCain Peas
500g shell pasta
1 lemon – juice + rind
100g rocket
1 long red chilli – halved lengthways and finely sliced
2tbs olive oil
1/2 cup of fresh mint leaves – torn
Pinch of raw sugar
Salt and pepper
Fresh mint leaves, garnish

Method

Pre-heat a fan forced oven to 220°. Cook McCain Diced Pumpkin and McCain Peas according to packet instructions.
Place cooked McCain Pumpkin onto a lined baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and black pepper and sprinkle with a pinch of raw sugar. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes, turning halfway, or until golden.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Once bubbling rapidly, add pasta and cook until all dente. Drain pasta and return the pot to a low heat.
Add oil and chilli to the pot and cook stirring, for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Return pasta to the pan, add peas, pumpkin, lemon juice, lemon rind, rocket, mint and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Divide pasta among bowls, garnish with remaining mint springs and serve.

Enjoy!

No-roast Gravy

October 13, 20153 Comments

I can remember being 17, at a friends house the first time I found out that you didn’t need pan drippings to make gravy. I was helping their mother make dinner and she asked me to make the gravy. I obliged and asked where the pan juices where, she looked at me with a puzzled expression and presented a tin. I looked at her equally puzzled, as she explained that this was the gravy. Embarrassed, I grabbed the tin, read the instructions and made my first powdered gravy.

Over the years I haven’t frequented powdered gravy with my roasts, instead opting for pan juices to make my gravy, or going without should I be too lazy/hungry/all of the above. However, when making a sneaky snack of chips & gravy I have indulged with powered gravy but it’s never really cut the mustard. I always knew there had to be a better option. Pub gravy and chicken shop gravy is delicious and made for masses. It’s not made from drippings, what is it?! Finally, I’ve cracked it; and you know what? This might even replace your next pan gravy.

Prep time – 5 minutes

Cooking time – 10 minutes

Ingredients

1tbs butter
1tbs plain flour
1tbs thickened cream
1 cup beef stock
Salt and pepper – to taste

Method

Melt butter in a small saucepan, over a medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring for 1 minute, to create a roux.
Slowly add beef stock to the roux and whisk continually using a balloon whisk until gravy has thickened. Add cream, stir to combine and season to taste. Serve immediately.

TIP: this gravy can also be made with chicken, lamb or vegetable stock.

Enjoy!

October Loves

September 30, 2015Leave a comment

It’s OCTOBER tomorrow! Whattt??? When did that happen? Last I checked it was still winter, not midway through spring! It must be the Mother in me. I’m so forgetful these days I swear I could plan my own surprise party!

Here is a round-up of the latest and greatest items that have hit the shelves these past weeks.

Enjoy!

Beak & Sons, Gluten Free Gourmet Sausage Range, RRP$6.49 – Beak & Sons have this month released their brand new range of gluten free, gourmet sausages. The range boasts 3 new flavours – traditional beef, Tuscan pork, and chicken and mushroom. The chicken and mushroom were the clear winner for me, absolutely delicious. Not fatty but still juicy and 100% yum! I was overly impressed with the other two flavours, I found them a little dry and chewy. However, Ben was a big fan of the Tuscan Pork.

Beak and Sons, Gluten Free Gourmet Sausage Range, RRP$6.49

Closer to Nature, Non-Spill Cups, RRP $various – as a breastfeeding Mother to a now 1 year old, I have often wondered when I would get my ~~breasts~~ freedom back and be able to be away from my little sprout for more than a few hours. Mr Max is fussy when it comes to drinking, and has refused to drink from anything that isn’t me. I have tried expressed milk, formula (several), water, goats milk, cows milk and every form of bottle, teat and cup under the sun. All to which he turned his nose up to and refused even the smallest sip. Which was frustrating and torublesome to say the least. Enter, Closer to Nature and their new range of Non-Spill Cups. Bravo to their designers as Mr Max will drink from them! His preference is an adorable blue/green straw cup with a “be kind to bees” picture. I have found FREEDOM, along with an excellent method of hydration for my little explorer. THANK YOU!

Closer to Nature, designed to keep your baby hydrated from their very first first sip, to their first big adventure.

Closer to Nature, Non-Spill Cups

Woolworths, Nuts About You Ice Cream, RRP$4.00 500ml – I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Woolworths’ ice cream game is on point. Their new range includes the delicious flavour “Nuts About You” we’re talking chocolate, nuts, caramel – all that is good. Get it in your belly!

Woolworths, Nuts About You ice cream, RRP$4.00 500ml

Hash Brown Breakfast Burger

August 20, 2015August 2, 2015Leave a comment

Bacon + egg + hash brown + roll = an epic breakfast that will banish even the most evil of hangovers.

If there is one thing we can all agree on, it’s that after a big night nothing will make you happier than a bacon and egg roll. This number also includes the added bonus of not one, but two hash browns; along with rocket and tomato so you can feel like you’re doing something okay for you body.

It’s hearty, quick and simple enough that you can make it while even if you’re minus a few brain cells from the night before. Don’t worry, I’ve got your back.

Ingredients

8 McCain Hash Browns – cooked as per packet instructions
4 Turkish bread buns
4 slices of bacon
4 eggs
50ml olive oil
2 tomatoes – sliced
60g rocket
Tomato relish, to serve

Method

Heat half the oil in a large frying pan, add bacon and cook, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked to your liking (3-4 minutes for semi-crisp). Drain on paper towels and keep warm.
Wipe pan with paper towels, add remaining oil, crack in eggs and cook over medium-high heat to your liking (3-4 minutes for soft yolks).
To serve, top Turkish roll with tomato, bacon, McCain Hash Brown, egg, rocket and a dollop of tomato relish. Season to taste, add roll top, and serve hot.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin and Banana Pup-Cakes

August 17, 20152 Comments

Join in the fight against animal cruelty by joining in the nommy celebrations of RSPCA Cupcake Day with this delicious treat.

Serves – makes 12 treats that are safe for humans and puppies alike!

Prep – 10 minutes

Cook – 20 minutes

Ingredients – Pupcake

1 cup of McCain Diced Pumpkin – cooked as per packet instructions
1 cup of self-raising flour
1 cup of ripe banana – mashed
1 egg
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ cup of water
¼ cup of peanut butter

Ingredients – Frosting

2 tbs of peanut butter – softened
3 tbs Greek yoghurt

Method

Pre-heat a fan-forced oven to 180°C and line a 12-cup muffin tray with patty cake liners.
Place cooked McCain Diced Pumpkin, banana, peanut butter and water in a large mixing bowl, and mix well to combine.
Sift flour and cinnamon into McCain Diced Pumpkin mixture and mix to combine. Carefully spoon even amounts into the muffin tray and bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Cool in tray for 5 minutes, and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the frosting, mix softened peanut butter with Greek yoghurt. Place into a piping bag and pipe directly onto the top of the pup-cakes.

TIP: the pup-cakes will keep for 3 days, refrigerated in a sealed air-tight container. Alternatively, they are great frozen as an icy treat for pups in summer!

Enjoy!

Mexican Corn Cobs

August 11, 2015August 2, 20152 Comments

This corn is bad-ass. Crunchy, sweet, spicy, salty, creamy and all together YUM. It can be served as a snack or side to a Mexican feast. However you serve it, the mayo is a MUST, it helps the cheese stick. I know, best sentence ever written, right? My arteries are tightening as I type.

Ingredients – Corn Cobs

1 packet of McCain Corn Cobbettes
50g of butter – melted
1 tbs of honey
1 tsp of cayenne pepper
2 tsp of sweet smoked paprika
½ cup of finely grated parmesan cheese
Lime wedges to serve

Ingredients – Spicy Mayo

½ cup of whole egg mayonnaise
1 tsp of cayenne pepper

Method

Place McCain Corn Cobbettes in a large pan of salted water and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for 8 minutes, or until the corn is tender. Drain in a colander and allow to steam dry.
Meanwhile, for spicy mayo, combine mayonnaise and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. For spice mix, combine cayenne pepper and sweet smoked paprika.
Place melted butter with honey into a small bowl and stir well to combine. Once the Corn Cobbettes are dry brush with a little of the butter and honey mixture. Place on a barbeque or in a preheated grill pan and cook, turning the Corn Cobbettes, until lightly toasted.
Pour the remaining melted butter and honey mixture into a shallow tray. Remove the Corn Cobbettes from the grill and roll in the butter and honey mixture, sprinkle with spice rub and serve with spicy mayo, wedges of lime and topped with finely grated parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

Pea, Bacon and Lentil Salad

August 3, 2015August 2, 2015Leave a comment

How do you make salad better? You put BACON in it! Yes, bacon!

Don’t worry, you can thank me later..

Ingredients – Salad

2 cups of McCain Peas – cooked as per packet instructions
400g tin of lentils – drained
1 red onion – finely sliced in half moons
1 tbs of olive oil
300g of bacon – diced
1 bunch of fresh mint – stalks removed
160g of baby spinach leaves

Ingredients – Dressing

50ml olive oil
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs of white vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves – finely chopped

Method

Heat 1 tbs of olive oil in a pan over a medium heat, add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until browned. Remove pan from heat and drain bacon on paper towel.
Place McCain Peas and all salad ingredients into a serving bowl and toss well to combine.
Whisk olive oil with lemon juice, white vinegar, Dijon mustard and finely chopped mint leaves. Season with salt and pepper and toss gently through salad.

Enjoy!

July Loves

July 29, 2015July 29, 2015Leave a comment

It feels like only last week I was typing up my last ‘Loves’ post, although I know it has been awhile. A baby will do that to you! I send my apologies to all who were wandering aimlessly around the supermarket wondering if there was anything new and tasty to try. Never fear, I have rounded up some new and delicious products below for you to chomp on.

Oh, and I promise [~~fingers may or may not be crossed behind my back]~~ that I will be more diligent with my next ‘Loves’ post.

Alana’s Pantry by Alana Lowes, Spicy Sauces, RRP $5.50 each – OMG these sauces are seriously good! Full of flavour, packing a seriously spicy kick, and made with no weird shit. These guys have been getting a definate work out in my kitchen of late. Seriously though, I caught Ben using the Spicy Morocco sauce for 7 meals straight. This includes 2 breakfasts. All of the sauces in the range are delicious, I personally cannot get enough of the Spicy Vietnam. It is a heavenly marinade that takes me instantly to South East Asia. Oh, and for those of you playing along at home you may remember the lovely Alana from season 3 of MasterChef Australia.

Alana’s Pantry, Spicy Sauces – RRP $5.50

Carpineto, Dogajolo, Toscano Rosso, RRP $17.00 750ml – is this not one of the most beautiful bottles of wine you have ever seen? I’m not going to lie, I totally judged a bottle by its label and bought this wine because it looked super cool. And, I have never been happier with my slightly superficial tendencies than ever before, because this is seriously a good drop. Big flavours, spicy notes of raspberry, vanilla, coffee and cherry shine through from this terrific Tuscan blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet. The palate is lean and lively with red berry fruits, plum flavours and notes of spice from wood-aging.

Carpiteno, Dogajolo, Toscano Rosso – RRP$17

Mamee, Chef Premium Instant Cup Noodles, RRP $2.29 each -remember Mamee Noodles? You know, the ones with the monster on the packet that you’d chomp on dry, from the pack, in the play ground at school? Well, cue nostalgia, these guys and back; and this time it’s with something for us oldies. Their new range, Chef, is perfect for busy adults looking for quick and convenient lunch and snack solutions. They are ready in 3 minutes, which when you have a baby hanging off you is a god send! I was pleasantly surprised with the the flavour of these. They honestly tasted like noodles I have had from market stalls in Asia. Folks, you don’t need to substitute quality for speed! The pastes are made from real ingredients and there is a freeze dried veggie sachet that’s packed with slices of chilli, shallots and other delicious treats like shrimp or tofu depending on flavour. Giving you restaurant quality taste. Available in three delicious flavours; Curry Laksa with Dry Tofu and Vegetables, Tom Yam with Tasty Shrimp and Vegetables, Spicy Chicken Shiitake with Shiitake Mushrooms and Vegetables. Available in Woolworths supermarkets nationally. mamee.com.au | facebook.com/mameechef | #MameeChef
TIP: look out for an upcoming recipe on here using the Mamee Chef Noodles to make a super quick and super tasty family dinner!

Mamee Chef Noodle Range, RRP $2.29 each

Enjoy!

Roast Turkey with Mushroom stuffing

July 16, 2015July 16, 2015Leave a comment

Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas [in July]!

If you’re a fan of giving people the bird, then this killer recipe for stuffed turkey will be right up your ally. This lean, mean, turkey machine is stuffed with mushrooms, cranberries and pecans AND served with all the Christmas trimmings making it perfect to share with a crowd. If you’re not a fan of the big bird, crowds, or you find the task of cooking a whopper like this too daunting then try adapting the recipe for a baked chicken, or even rolled pork loin. YUM!

Serves – 8 people

Prep – 30 minutes

Cooking – 3 ½ hours

Ingredients

3kg fresh or thawed whole turkey
1 packet of McCain Sliced Mushrooms
3 rashes of bacon – rind removed and diced
½ cup of pecans – roughly chopped
¼ cup of dried cranberries
1 medium onion – diced
2 celery stick – finely diced
3 cloves of garlic – crushed
1 tbs of fresh rosemary leaves
1 tbs of fresh thyme leaves
1 tbs of fresh parsley leaves
2 ½ cups of sourdough bread – cut into 1cm cubes
2 eggs – beaten
50g butter
1 tbs of olive oil
Salt and pepper

Method

Heat butter and olive oil in a medium pan over a high heat. Add onion, garlic, celery, bacon, rosemary and thyme and cook for 3-5 minutes or until onion is tender and bacon is golden.
Add McCain Sliced Mushrooms and cook for 3-5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and mixture is dry.
Add sourdough, cranberries, pecans and parsley to a large mixing bowl and stir well to combine. Add McCain Sliced Mushroom mixture to the dry ingredients and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add eggs and mix well to combine.

TIP: if you’re making the stuffing the night ahead simply add the eggs to the mixture the following day, prior to stuffing the bird.

Preheat a fan-forced oven to 160°C. Wash the bird and cavity and pat dry with paper towel. Stuff the bird with the McCain Sliced Mushroom stuffing, ensuring you leave room for the stuffing to expand, and secure the legs with kitchen twine. Cover the breasts, wings and leg tips with oiled al-foil to ensure they don’t burn during cooking.

TIP: if you have leftover stuffing, wrap it in al-foil and place in the oven for the last 30 minutes of the birds cooking.

Place the bird in the oven and for 55minutes per kg. 30 minutes before the bird is cooked, remove from the oven and remove al-foil and pierce skin with a skewer to allow for self-basting.
Remove the bird from the oven, check that the bird is cooked by seeing that the juices run clear and the internal temperature of the bird reaches 80°C and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with all the trimmings!

Remember: never thaw a turkey on the bench or in the sink. Always thaw in the refrigerator and allow 13 hours per kg.

Enjoy!